U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire expired.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
F-16 fighter jets during a military parade in Warsaw on the day of the Polish army on Aug. 15, 2018, Warsaw, Poland. (Photo credit: Krystian Dobuszynski/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The first four Ukrainian pilots are scheduled to complete U.S.-led training on F-16 fighter jets by this summer, CNN reported on Feb. 20.
According to CNN, the pilots, who have been training at a U.S. air base in Arizona since October, are expected to complete their training between May and August, although the exact completion date depends on their progress through the program.
Two other cohorts of pilots, who began training earlier this year, are currently undergoing basic training, as well as English-language training, which is required to fly the fourth-generation U.S. fighter jet.
Last October, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the U.S. would join Denmark and the Netherlands in leading the coalition of countries training Ukrainian pilots. The "fighter jet coalition" was first established by 11 founding nations in July at the Vilnius NATO summit.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian media reported that Ukraine may receive its first F-16 fighter jets this June, citing comments made by Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas and an unnamed European official.
Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on television he cannot confirm nor deny the June timeline.
"I can only confirm that the action plan is indeed being carried out. Our partners are ready to hand over the planes to Ukraine," Ihnat said.
The total number of the jets to be delivered has not yet been announced, but The Telegraph estimated that Ukraine may receive as many as 60 F-16s.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Elsa Court
